The good old days are now.

BayGene

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes, I'm old.
Yes, I hung out in Julian's Billiard Academy and (It's) Ames (Mister) "in the day." (which we never said in the day.)
Yes, I traveled around with Onofrio Lauri, who held a constant conversation with God about bad rolls.
Yes, I bet a guy twenty Lyndon Johnson dollars that Jimmy Cattrano would break the balls and never shoot again (and Cisero ran 150 and out and kept it up to 229).
But...
I stop off at Amsterdam Billiards, where Danny Barouty has created a 14.1 shrine, most Monday nights on my way to class at NYU.
One night: Mika runs 98 like nothing on Table 9.
This Monday: Zion runs 96 with that eternal smile on his face.
In both cases they're playing Jim Gottier, a terrific player and great sportsman, who applauds their performances.
And this is at 5, when the guys are just warming up for the Monday night league.
I'm telling you that the quality of play wasn't this good in Ames and Julian's back then even though the players I talked to then bragged about playing Greenleaf, Crane, Caras and Mosconi.
These may be the Good Old Days.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Indeed, straight pool is alive and well at Amsterdam, and the fine players you mention have a very genuine love for the game that you can sense when you watch them. The league players have a great appreciation for the game, and they compete skillfully and with good sportsmanship.

And, yes, Danny Barouty is the glue that holds the local straight pool scene together. He is both a role model and an inspiration for countless straight poolers in New York and beyond and has turned the Amsterdam league into something very special.

As Carly Simon noted in her song "Anticipation," these are the good old days.
 

West Point 1987

On the Hill, Out of Gas
Silver Member
I will say this...in all my years chasing a better pool game, I can say without a doubt that there are definitely many more players playing at a much higher level than ever before (or at least in my lifetime). I remember my Grandfather telling me that just post-WWII it seemed like there were guys everywhere that played really good pool (not necessarily world beaters, but every room/small town had a guy or two that could run 100+ balls). I used to think he was BS'ing me a little--and maybe he was just a little, but I'm thinking it's cyclical...

Back in the 80s, when I started playing, seemed like there were a lot of bangers everywhere, but A-level players weren't quite as plentiful...a solid B or A player was a sure bet to cash in any local tournament...now, there seem to be a lot more B and A level players everywhere, maybe like the post WWII boom?

I haven't gambled in years...but it seems to me that the stakes are pretty flat, basically the same as they were 30 years ago...am I wrong? $500 ring games, $200 sets, $20 up to $100 a game, etc. that's what we were playing for in the 80s, now seems about the same? Sure, there's exceptions, but seems pretty close to the same, without even adjusting for inflation. Maybe we're seeing more players playing at a higher level, the regional tours have expanded, and all the social networking is keeping everyone's action flat?
 

BayGene

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lyndon Johnson dollars?

Seemed you could by more with a buck in 1964. $2500 Mustangs and so forth...
 

pmata814

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yea, but how many hrs did u have to wrk to get the $175? I don't know, I'm actually asking for those who remember what minimum wage was back then. :)

Sent from my BlackBerry 9780 using Tapatalk
 

BayGene

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
On the way to class, stopping off by Table 9 at Amsterdam. Danny Barouty runs a 91.

14.1 lives!
 

dmgwalsh

Straight Pool Fanatic
Silver Member
I was on Table 20 at the time. Sorry I missed you.

Stu: Were you playing a little 14.1? I remember you saying you had not played in a long time when you were down at Derby and I was wondering if you are getting back into it.

Dennis
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Stu: Were you playing a little 14.1? I remember you saying you had not played in a long time when you were down at Derby and I was wondering if you are getting back into it.

Dennis

No, I was teaching. I've played just three games of 14.1 in 2012 so far.
 
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